“I will be big soon and then you will be afraid of me, just wait …”
This little African Elephant calf displayed all the signs of intimidation to scare me away and got very frustrated when I would not move.
At the encounter on Friday evening the baby’s mum was very calm and looked rather amused on her offsprings behavior 😊
Have a good week!
Check out the video from this sighting at https://youtu.be/hivicSRuHEk
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Yesterday evening Thanda Safari’s male Lion coalition did not enjoy the rain but they still went for a walk to have a look for our neighbor’s male, who decided to roar in the late afternoon.
Nothing motivates a male Lion more to get active, than competition announcing itself to the world.
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The *Green Winged Pytilia* (Pytilia melba) is a very colorful finch species found all over sub-Saharan Africa. The Southern subspecies is also know as Melba Finch.
I took these pictures last week during an excursion to the kuMasinga hide at Mkuze National Park.
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I am not good at identifying Butterflies but I like this picture of a butterfly fight which I took a few days ago.
PS: The white specimen on the right lost 😊
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Seeing Fever Trees (Vachellia xanthophloea) in the morning mist is one of my favorite ‘sightings’ on a summer safari.
These beautiful trees with their unique yellow-green phosphorous bark are prevalent at Thanda. Two beautiful specimina are just outside my home.
In isiZulu the tree is called uMkhanyakude, which means ‘the tree which shines from afar’. What an apt name.
I wish you a good week!
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This is my first Leopard picture, which I shot in December 2002. Ned (the name given to this magnificent male) was part of the Munyawana Leopard Project. Wild animals are usually not given any names on game reserves, except if they are part of a research project.
Enjoy your weekend!
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With its striking yellow (golden) breast this is one of my favorite small birds.
Golden-breasted Buntings are regularly seen at the waterhole near my home on Thanda.
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Ants are commonly observed lifting heavy objects, but they are not the strongest members of the insect world.
Dung Beetles are known to lift weights up to over 1,000 times their own body weight—a load equivalent to a human lifting over 80,000 kg (~180,000 pounds).
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This impressive African Elephant bull followed a breeding herd away from a local waterhole.
In the background is the Intibane Lodge, the home of Ulwazi Research, which is Thanda Safari’s Volunteer Program.
In case you are interested in volunteering: https://www.ulwaziresearch.com
Enjoy your week!
… and as a bonus picture the family group he followed …
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To all Donors and Friends of the Inkanyiso Crèche
Dear friends,
A lot has happened since my last report to you. As pictures speak more than words I have included many images with my text. Thanks again for the generous donations which helped us to implement many project at the crèche. Your continued support enables us to help many underprivileged children in the rural areas of Zululand.
Next to the Inkanyiso Crèche we are working on identifying two more projects in the other two communities which border Thanda Safari. Please let me know if you want to help us with the future projects. I really appreciate any support we can get to improve the lives of these young ones 🙂 I will continue to keep you updated on our progress!
… and now the Inkanyiso Crèche news …
Graduation – Thirteen kids graduated end of last year and have now started primary school. Thanks to Lungy, our teacher, they are well prepared for their school life. We had a great party to celebrate the occasion.
Volunteers – Many volunteers have helped over the last 18 month to improve the crèche. But none contributed as much as Miss Olivia – which is what the kids called her – an Australian Primary School Teacher co-teaching at the crèche for four weeks. If you are a teacher who would like to send a few weeks as Ulwazi Volunteer with Lungy and the children then just contact me at christian@sperka.com.
Jungle Gym – It is not news any more but it is still the favourite place for most of the children.
Flying High – The new trampoline is another winner.
Daily Breakfast – Not one of the kids starts the day hungry any more. We are providing a flavoured porridge breakfast with full fat milk every morning. One of our generous donors has provided funds for the breakfast throughout 2020!
Water and Toilettes – We have added gutters to the roof and installed multiple water tanks to capture the most valuable commodity on earth: Water! And the new toilettes are being built as we speak. It takes a bit longer than originally planned but it is happening now. This is called African Time 🙂
Power for the Crèche – we just installed solar panels and a battery bank to supply the crèche with DC power. This allows charging phones, a small tablet, a small sound system and it provides LED light. The system was installed by EcoElite, who donated system components and will provide service for the system for the next five years. The power will also be used for the water pump for the toilettes.
Warm in the Winter for the Class of 2020 – One of our generous donors brought 30 woollen beanies and 30 pair of gloves for the little ones. They will be of great use in the upcoming winter. Most of the kids put them on immediately and ‘tested’ them on the jungle gym. The sunny summer weather did not stop them using their newly acquired clothes.
All of us can be proud of what has been achieved in the last 18 month. And there are more projects for the crèche to come: Tiles for the room floors, a shaded outside area, additional training for our teacher, …
We also need to create a yearly fund for the ongoing costs (teacher salary, teaching materials, …). I am working on the budget for that.
And as always at the end: We are grateful for any donation small or large. If we all work together we will be able to keep the Inkanyiso Crèche going for many years to come.
Contact me at christian@sperka.com if you would like to help.
Christian Sperka, February 2020
The Inkanyiso Crèche is supported by many Thanda Safari Guests, the Thanda Foundation Trust, and Friends of the Crèche from all Around the World. Thanks so much for all your help!
Christian Sperka Photography | Custom Luxury Tours 